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﻿From the Albuquerque Journal - By James Monteleone / Journal Staff Writer - State Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela said today that he won’t take a second shot at running for the Albuquerque-area seat of the U.S. House of Representatives this year. “This was a difficult decision, because there can be so much done on the federal level to improve the economy and the lives of Americans, but I feel this is the time for me to focus on working to make New Mexico the best place to do business so New Mexicans have the opportunity to be prosperous and achieve the American dream,” Barela said in a prepared statement. Barela, a Republican, narrowly lost to incumbent Democratic Rep. Martin Heinrich in 2010 in his first attempt to run for public office. Months later, Barela was appointed to serve as Gov. Susana Martinez’s secretary of economic development. However, Barela had said he was considering a second bid in 2012 to represent Albuquerque in Congress. Now, the Cabinet secretary says he’d prefer to stay put with the job he has. “It’s an incredible honor to serve in public office, and I look forward to continuing to serve in my current role,” Barela told the Journal today. Read more (requires subscription to Alb Journal)

Albuquerque Journal - Democrats will continue to have a chance at winning four of the five seats on New Mexico’s utility regulatory agency under a redistricting plan approved Wednesday by a state district judge.Two Republicans, two Democrats and an independent currently sit on the PRC, which regulates utilities, telecommunications, insurance and motor carriers such as ambulances. Retired state District Judge James Hall adopted a redistricting proposal advocated by a group of Democrats and minority voters, including Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas of Albuquerque. The plan preserves most of the state’s geographical divisions currently found in PRC districts. Brian Sanderoff, a redistricting consultant for the Legislature, described it as a “status quo-oriented plan.” Read full story here: (subscription required) News New Mexico